Memorial project to relive legacy of Malabar's forgotten warrior

Murikkancheri Kelu Nayanar, who stood up against the might of the Portuguese, set to be immortalised with a monument at the very spot he was buried

- LAKSHMI ATHIRA @Kannur

FOR centuries, the winds sweeping Payyambalam Beach carried with them the memories of a fearless warrior who once stood up against the might of the Portuguese. Now, the echoes of history are about to find a voice.

Chirakkal Kelu — better known as Murikkancheri Kelu Nayanar — who inspired Santosh Sivan's movie 'Urumi', is set to be immortalised with a monument at the very spot where he was buried.

The memorial will come up next to the long-forgotten tomb of the 16th-century general, buried beneath layers of time, near the Payyambalam police outpost. The archaeological department will take up restoration of the tomb as part of the project.

The state government has earmarked ₹75 lakh for the memorial, which will come up on five cents of land allocated by the revenue department. This is the brainchild of Minister for Ports, Museums, Archaeology and Archives Ramachandran Kadannappalli.